ML17187A298

Summarizes Jan 1996 SMM Evaluation of Plant Nuclear Safety Performance,Discussing Weaknesses & Improvements.Advises That Continued Mgt Attention Needed to Assure Improvement Efforts Are Sustained & Effective at Plant

ML17187A298
Person / Time
Site:	Dresden
Issue date:	01/29/1996
From:	Taylor J NRC OFFICE OF THE EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR FOR OPERATIONS (EDO)
To:	Oconnor J COMMONWEALTH EDISON CO.
References
NUDOCS 9602070269
Download: ML17187A298 (4)

Text

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UNITED STATES

• NUCLEAR REGULATORY COMMISSION Mr. James J. O'Connor WASHINGTON, D.C. 20555-0001 January 29, 1996 Chairman and Chief Executive Officer Conunonwealth Edison Company P.0. Box 767

• Chicago, IL 60690

Dear Mr. O'Connor:

On January 17-18, 1996, NRC senior managers met to evaluate the nuclear safety performance of operating reactors, fuel facilities and other materials licensees. *The NRC conducts this meeting semiannually to determine if the safety performance of various licensees exhibits sufficient weaknesses to

.warrant increased NRC attention or if it is trending adversely and requires steps to be taken to conununicate concerns to the utility's president or board of.directors. At the January 1996 Senior Management Meeting (SMM), the Dresden Nuclear Power Station was discussed.

The Dresden Station was placed on the NRC watch l.ist for the second time in January 1992 and remains a Category 2 plant. Plants in this category have been identified as having weaknesses that warrant increased.NRC attention until the licensee demonstrates a period of improved. performance.* A sununary of NRC discussions related to Dresden follows:

During the June 1995 SMM, NRC noted that ComEd had lost its momentum in improvement efforts at Dresden.

Over the past six months, ComEd has takeri steps to rqgain this momentum.

Following a significant event

.. involving violation of technical specification.limits at the beginning of 1995, station management refocused attention on operatioris standards and accountability.

As a consequence, marked improvement has been

. observed in control room activities. While Unit 3 was hampered with equipment problems coming out of an extended forced outage, each of

.. three startup evolutions on the Unit was conducted in a deliberate, error free manner.. Priority was given to resolving operator work-arounds and control room deficiencies with positive results; Overall, a more tonservative approach to decision makihg has been observed at the

• station.*

Units 2 and 3 were both shutdown for most of the past six months.

• Unit 2 has been in an extended refuel1ng outage and Unit 3 was shut down to repair a failed turbine generator. Steps were taken.

to resolve a number of longstanding equipment problems during these outages.

However, considerable work remains to be done ~ith respect to material condition.

The. backlog of equipment deficiencies reniains high while problems with work planning and coordination have persisted. Station management acted to improve work control and planning, but significant results have yet to be observed.

Weaknesses in worker skill levels continue to hamper progress in this area.

Mr. James J. O'Connor 2 -

The number of radiological protection and maintenance.related perscinnel errors also-continued to be high; particularly during the dual unit outage,* indicating efforts tq communicate management st~ndards and-~xp~ctations have not been°fully effective:. *

• Engineering support to the station improved through increased

.staffing_ and involvement in plant activities but efforts to better identify equipment problems through plant walkdowns and system reviews need to c;ontinue.

Continued iign~ficant m~nagement attenticin is needed to assute im~rovement efforts ar~ -s~stained ~nd eff~ctivi a~-Dr~sden. _ Thi~ is partitularlj

- important in light of *the lc>ng:time that.Dresden. has been a Category. 2 plant.

and *its history.of cycl it performance.: - W~*ile performance imprqvements have

~gain been obs.erved -in* some a*reas, 'effectiveness*. of recent management changes and i mpfo\\,iement efforts -Will only* become-cl ear as the Unit '2 outage fa completeq~ the U~it is restatted and,operated along with Unit 3_ for a period of time.

OFFICE Req Admin:RIH I DD:NRR

-I D:NRR *

. I EDO t' I

NAME HJMil ler.

FJMiraqlia*

WTRussell*

JMTaV/l or.

DATE I

/96 01/23/96 01/23/96

.I /v"I /96 OFFICIAL RECORD COPY

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.J*.:

J. J. O'Connor Commonwealth Edison Company cc:

MichaeJ I. Miller, E~quire Sidley and Austin One First National Plaza Chicago, Illinois 60603 Sit~ Vice President-Dresden Nuclear Power Station 6500 North Dresden Road Morri~, Illinois 60450-9765

• Station Manager Dresden Nuclear Power St~tion 6500 North Dresden Road

• .Morris, Illinois 60450-9765 U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission

• Resident Inspectors Office Dresden Stat.ion 6500 North Dresden Road Morris, Illinois 60450-9766 Regional Administrator U.S. NRC, Region II I 801 *Warrenville Road Lisle,. Illinois 605~2~4351 *

~

Illlnois Departmen't of Nuclear Safety Office of Nuclear Facility Safety 1035 Outer Park Ori ve Springfield, Illinois 62704 Chairman

.

• Grundy County Board

• (, Administration Building 1320 Union Street Morris, Illinois. 60450

. Document Co.ntrol Desk-Licensing Commonwealth Edison Company 1400 Opus Place, Suite *400 Downers Grovei Illinois 60515 Dresden Nuclear Power Station Unit Nos. 2 and 3

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